First WTM Connect Asia takes off with big ambitions

May 19, 2016

ORGANISERS of WTM Connect Asia have unveiled plans to double participation of buyers and sellers by its next edition in 2017.

The inaugural show, which opened yesterday, boasts a moderate attendance of 70 hosted buyers from 25 countries, as well as 50 exhibitors, the bulk of whom are from Asia. The three most represented exhibitor countries were Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, said Craig Moyes, portfolio director, WTM portfolio at Reed Travel Exhibitions.

In five year’s time, Moyes sees numbers swelling to 300 buyers and 300 sellers, but the show will still retain its small and intimate nature, much unlike Reed Travel Exhibitions’ flagship event World Travel Market in London, which attracts a high volume of 50,000 attendees.

He believes its relatively small size gives the show its charm, where, he hopes, everyone gets to meet one another and network during sessions arranged after the formal events were over. He added that sellers are also screened to ensure that they are a good match for qualified buyers.

While there are many trade shows in Asia already, Moyes says that there is still room to grow by providing both buyers and exhibitors greater value for money.

Airbnb vs Parkroyal, Darling Harbour Sydney

By Paige Lee Pei Qi

May 19, 2016

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As a one-week holiday in Sydney with two friends approaches, Paige Lee Pei Qi compares the wealth of options available on the Airbnb platform versus a traditional hotel website, in an effort to scout for a convenient and wallet-friendly accommodation test

Airbnb

APPEARANCE The website’s clean interface greeted me with a ‘we’ banner, and juxtaposed against a backdrop of changing destinations, immediately put me at ease. Website navigation was idiot-proof as all I had to do was to select my destination, enter my check-in and check-out dates and number of guests – and I was good to go.

I could further refine my search by making selections for room type (entire place, private room or shared room), price range, number of bedrooms, bathrooms and beds.

PRODUCT My main aim was to find an apartment with three beds in the city. I found one located along Kent Street, which can accommodate four pax and is a five-minute walk from Town Hall train station. The spacious apartment featured a combined living and dining area with a kitchen, and balcony. It also had 44 verified reviews.

I sent a message to the owner to enquire if the sofa-bed provided in the living room was a real bed. She replied within the hour, stating that the sofa came with a spring mattress and bed topper, which assured me.

EASE OF BOOKING I could book the place instantly with just one click. Payment was via a credit card.

PRICE This apartment would cost me S$213 (US$157) a night.

Parkroyal, Darling Harbour Sydney

Appearance The website greeted me with photos of the hotel building accompanied with bright lights of the Darling Harbour area. Website navigation was straightforward, and the check-boxes at the top prompted me to indicate my arrival and departure dates before it hunted down rooms for me.

PRODUCT A variety of rooms – ranging from a superior to an executive – were available on the hotel website. There was even a Darling Harbour room which overlooks downtown Sydney’s skyline. There was also a hotel e-brochure available for download if I wanted more information.

However, there was only one generic picture of the bed available for viewing when I took a look at the superior room.

EASE OF BOOKING Booking could be done instantaneously in my preferred currency. Upon confirmation, booking conditions were also flexible up to 24 hours prior to arrival.

PRICE For a superior room for three, it would be S$517/night.

VERDICT Given how both options were a stone’s throw away from each other and within walking distance of Darling Harbour, I chose the more affordable Airbnb apartment. I was also won over by the more unorthodox experience in an apartment where I could have access to a living room, kitchen and a washing machine (good for my one-week stay).

This article was first published in TTG Asia, May 6, 2016 issue, on page 13. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe

EgyptAir flight MS804 disappears from radar

By TTG Asia

May 19, 2016

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An EgyptAir A320

AN EgyptAir flight from Paris enroute to Cairo has disappeared from radar tracking systems at 02.45 local time today.

Flight MS804, an A320, carried 59 passengers and 10 crew when it took off from Charles De Gaulle Airport at 23.09 Parisian time, before losing contact approximately three hours and 40 minutes into its journey.

The airline stated that the plane was at a height of 37,000 feet and 10 miles into Egyptian airspace when communications were lost.

EgyptAir’s latest statement says that they have informed all relevant authorities and are now working with rescue teams to investigate further.

Dark tourism sites need to be managed with sensitivity

By TTG Asia

May 19, 2016

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Auschwitz, Poland

TRAVEL to locations associated with a history of death, suffering and other instances of the macabre has become popular among tourists.

Pablo Escobar’s Medellin, the Killing Fields of Cambodia, the Auschwitz gas chambers in Poland, Jack the Ripper’s back streets of London, and the apartheid jail cells in Africa are examples of this.

But according to MyTravelResearch.com, ethical implications such as the tendency to trivialise past suffering and dredge up painful reminders for local communities are surfacing as a result.

The citizens of Medellin, for example, initially resisted dark tourism, unwilling to be reminded of their murderous history. As well, survivors of Auschwitz raised fears that such forms of tourism was trivialising tragedy after seeing tourists take selfies at a genocide site.

However, Carolyn Childs, co-founder of MyTravelResearch.com, said that this can be avoided by making sure sensitivities are properly managed.

“Firstly and most importantly, the community including victims and survivors must be consulted from the beginning and throughout the project,” she said.

Childs, who has assessed dark tourism sites around the world, added that the quality of historical interpretation and portrayed narrative is also vital. The story needs to be brought to life, she stressed, citing the example of the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg.

There, visitors are randomly assigned a white or non-white tag, who then enter the museum through different corridors, all the while being visible to one another, leading to a visceral and disconcerting experience.

While selfie and travel tick list trivialisation is unfortunate, Childs insists that dark tourism is a force for good by being able to promote solemn learning and personal growth.

“Visiting sites such as Auschwitz are occasions for profound reflection and learning,” she said.

“Particularly, if you combine them with visiting Kazimierz and Podgorze. If you are visiting Krakow and only see the positives of this beautiful city, you aren’t seeing the whole picture.”

Leicester sparks Thai outbound interest in English FC tours

By TTG Asia

May 19, 2016

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Charamporn Jotikasthira (front row, fourth from left), president of Thai Airways, presented a flower bouquet to Claudio Ranieri (front row, third from left), manager of Leicester City FC, and Wes Morgan, captain of the football team, and other members of the football team

OUTBOUND tour operators in Thailand are seeing stronger marketing potential in English football club tours, as newly crowned Premier League champion Leicester City has sparked off a massive fan following in Thailand owing to its Thai connections.

Leicester City FC is owned by Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who is also the CEO and founder of Thailand’s duty-free shop King Power.

Arthit Kiatbenchaphong, sales manager of Bonus Travel, is expecting the Leicester craze to boost sales of the company’s existing FC programmes.

“We normally offer tours to the stadiums of UK’s most famous FCs such as Chelsea or Manchester United, which always make a lot of sales,” he told TTG Asia e-Daily.

While there is no exact plan on Leicester tour packages yet, Arthit believes the victory of the underdog team will make this particular route more popular. “We have no demand or request for Leicester’s stadium tour yet, but we plan to launch that soon,” he added.

Meanwhile, Double Enjoy, which specialises in football tour packages, will soon add Leicester to its list of football stadiums in the UK due to the club’s immense popularity among Thai fans now, according to sales supervisor Pattaraporn Paku.

She said: “It is quite recent that Leicester won the league. I still have nothing specific planned for Leicester just yet, but I am sure it will become one of the hottest destinations in the near future.”

Leicester could also be leveraged as a new selling point for Double Enjoy’s private group tours of English FCs, she added.

By Nicholas Yong

SIA establishes holding company for Scoot and Tiger Airways

By TTG Asia

May 19, 2016

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SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) has established a holding company to own and manage both its budget airline subsidiaries, Scoot and Tiger Airways.

The news have come on the back of Tiger Airways delisting from the SGX and on the formation of the Value Alliance, an eight-member LCC alliance including members Scoot and Tiger Airways.

The newly-formed holding company, Budget Aviation Holdings, will be helmed by Lee Lik Hsin, who has led Tiger Airways since May 2014. He will manage both budget carriers as the new company’s CEO.

Goh Choon Phong, SIA’s CEO, will be chairman of Budget Aviation Holdings and its management will include senior staff from Scoot, Tiger Airways and SIA.

Key functions of both airlines such as sales, marketing, IT, planning and operations will also be shared or integrated.

Goh said: “The holding company structure will drive a deep integration of our low-cost subsidiaries, which are important parts of our portfolio strategy in which we have investments in both the full-service and budget aspects of the airline business.”

Meanwhile, Campbell Wilson, Scoot’s CEO since the LCC’s launch in 2012, will be returning to the SIA group in a senior position.

SIA took full ownership of Tiger Airways following a general offer that closed on March 4, 2016.

Seoul gains more Singapore event groups, rolls out new support features

By Karen Yue

May 19, 2016

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View of Seoul skyline from Bongeunsa temple

SINGAPORE MICE arrivals into Seoul have doubled over the past year, a result of in-market destination promotions by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) Singapore office and the emergence of more four-star hotels in the South Korean capital city.

Speaking to TTGmice e-Weekly on the sidelines of a Seoul roadshow for MICE buyers in Singapore on Monday, Helen Shim, director of the Singapore office, said: “Our hard work over the past three years (in courting Singapore MICE buyers) have paid off. MICE buyers here have become better aware of the various infrastructure available in Seoul.

“While we usually get smaller incentive groups to Seoul from Singapore, this year we have confirmed five to six large groups with 300 to 400 pax each. In April, Prudential led an incentive group to Seoul for four days, with day trips to nearby Gyeonggi Province. Come June, Herbalife International will be hosting an event there.”

Shim added that the growing supply of affordable four-star hotels in the city had a role to play in attracting Singapore clients.

“Clients used to think twice about hosting an event in Seoul because of the high costs. But now that they have cheaper – and brand new ¬– accommodation options, making a decision to visit Seoul is a lot easier,” said Shim, adding that her team has been actively promoting these new four-star hotels in Seoul to “swing votes our way”.

Meanwhile, Singapore MICE buyers will have more reasons to pick Seoul for their next event as Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) has recently expanded its support programme for business event groups.

One of the two latest offerings is a series of special tours that provide delegates an in-depth look at the city’s culture and key industries.

Lee Joon, executive director, tourism & MICE division, STO, said: “For instance, we led a group to see the historical palaces in Seoul, had them make kimchi and brought them for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Seoul Traffic Centre which isn’t open to the public.”

The other new offering is the Seoul MICE Card, which is given to event delegates attending qualifying business events in Seoul. These rechargeable and reusable cards come with a 5,000 won (US$4) credit and can be used on public transport including the airport express as well as with selected merchants.

Lee said: “By expanding our range of support for MICE groups, we hope to encourage business event delegates to make repeated visits to Seoul, both for business and for leisure.”

Angsana properties tout CSR incentive programme

By TTG Asia

May 19, 2016

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Angsana Lang Co event space

CORPORATE event planners seeking a corporate social responsibility (CSR) element for their activities can consider Angsana Hotels and Resorts’ Meet for Good incentive programme at Angsana Lang Co in Central Vietnam, Angsana Laguna Phuket and Angsana Bintan.

Meet for Good features various opportunities to contribute to the local community and environment through activities such as visits to local orphanages or nursing homes, beach clean-up, cooking local dishes for the elderly, and giving language classes to disadvantaged children.

As well, Angsana Lang Co – which has four fully-equipped meeting rooms and a 392m²ballroom for 400 guests – offers full- and half-day meeting packages and a range of complementary recreational activities with Connect@Angsana.

Meeting room at Angsana Bintan

Angsana Bintan provides a beachfront venue with meeting rooms where guests can have outdoor meetings by the South China Sea. Two meeting venues allow for a total capacity of 132 people, topped off by 111 guestrooms and suites. The meeting experience can be complete with golfing at the property’s 18-hole championship course and activities such as trekking and ATV rides.

And at Angsana Laguna Phuket, planners can choose from 11 meeting spaces, four outdoor venues and a 358m² grand ballroom.

Berlin dethrones Paris in global meeting cities ranking: ICCA

By TTG Asia

May 19, 2016

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icca-table_1
Table 1: Top 20 city ranking by number of meetings organised in 2015

BERLIN is the new number one city to meet in according to the latest ICCA ranking of global cities for international association meetings, published this week.

The study captured a record number of 12,076 rotating international association meetings in 2015, 571 more meetings compared to 2014.

Paris now sits in second place this year. Seven other top cities have remained on the charts, albeit taking different positions. Singapore has, however, remained at seventh spot.

Meanwhile, in country rankings, the US and Germany have clung onto pole and second position respectively, while the UK has climbed a rung to third position. Canada is a newcomer to the top 10 list.

Table 2: Top 20 country ranking by number of meeting organised in 2015

ICCA identified 94 additional international association meetings that took place in the US in 2015, eight additional meetings in Germany and 39 additional meetings in the UK. Spain and France dropped by six and 11 meetings respectively.

ICCA CEO, Martin Sirk, commented: “In an uncertain world with ever increasing business disruption, the stability and continuing long-term growth of international association meetings are encouraging more suppliers and destinations to include this market segment in their mix of business. What also remains true is that these are the most complex and long-lead-time meetings to win, requiring excellent research and targeting, top class bidding and presentation skills, and patience.”

He added: “It appears that competition is getting tougher for the traditional market leaders, with faster growth outside the top 10 positions. This might also reflect a trend, as many of the top destinations are starting to create their own international meetings, rather than bidding for traditional association meetings whenever rotation patterns allow, and these new meetings don’t appear in our data, since they don’t usually rotate between countries.”

Business event groups to gain more in Hong Kong

By TTG Asia

May 19, 2016

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MEETINGS and Exhibitions Hong Kong (MEHK) has launched the 2016/17 Hong Kong Rewards! programme, introducing new and enhanced privileges for MICE delegates visiting Hong Kong.

Among the perks is a chance to enjoy complimentary cocktail receptions at 40 hotel venues; exclusive group shots, priority seating at the Festival of the Lion King show and a 15-minute CEO procession at Hong Kong Disneyland; welcome drink and souvenir at Ocean Park Hong Kong; up to HK$2,000 (US$257.50) in shopping and dining discounts at some 400 airport restaurants and shops for each delegate; and complimentary cultural performances such as traditional lion and dragon dances.

For more information, visit MEHK website.

First WTM Connect Asia takes off with big ambitions

Airbnb vs Parkroyal, Darling Harbour Sydney

EgyptAir flight MS804 disappears from radar

Dark tourism sites need to be managed with sensitivity

Leicester sparks Thai outbound interest in English FC tours

SIA establishes holding company for Scoot and Tiger Airways

Seoul gains more Singapore event groups, rolls out new support features

Angsana properties tout CSR incentive programme

Berlin dethrones Paris in global meeting cities ranking: ICCA

Business event groups to gain more in Hong Kong

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